News

Colorado Gives Day is Tuesday, December 9th and like many Colorado non-profits, we are seeking your support.

Please take a minute to watch this amazing 9News segment featuring MAF Ambassador, Eli and the entire Gump-Gold family. Eli was diagnosed with a craniopharyngioma when he was 2 years old and in this video they talk about what that has meant for the last 6 years of their lives.

Thanks to donors like you, we are able to fund smaller, more specific research projects that help kids with cancer RIGHT NOW. A donation on Colorado Gives Day will give the gift of HOPE to kids like Eli.

Arriving in your mailboxes today...our Winter 2014 newsletter! Click HERE to download an electronic version the newsletter. If you didn't receive a copy via snail mail and would like to, please let maf@morganadamsfoundation.org know and we'll send one your way.

Between Brittany Maynard's campaign for death with dignity, Lauren Hill's triumphant basketball game, and Ed Sheeran's marriage proposal from a fan, it feels as though brain cancer is everywhere in the news right now. While most of the media is caught up in debating the politics of Ms. Maynard's decision or focusing on the inspirational and courageous aspects of each patient's individual story, it seems to us that they are missing the most important point of these stories. Why are brain tumors so deadly and what are we doing to improve survival rates? That is until today...

NBC and the National Brain Tumor Society released an article that gets to the very core of why brain tumors are so lethal and why it is imperative to fund research. With only $176.8 million of the National Cancer Institute's $4.7 billion cancer budget being appropriated for brain/central nervous system cancers, organizations like The Morgan Adams Foundation play a significant and vital role in moving early stage research forward.

We know this doesn't seem possible, but it is NOT AN APRIL FOOL'S JOKE!

The gridlock in Washington last fall has made funding pediatric cancer research beyond difficult. As you have seen and heard in the news Federal dollars have been cut for cancer research across the board. Previously, pediatric cancer research only received 4% of the overall cancer research budget. In our current climate organizations like The Morgan Adams Foundation will be relied upon to fill the gap in funding.

On March 11, 2014 the US Senate unanimously passed The Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, a measure which redirects Federal funds from presidential campaigns and political party conventions toward pediatric research. We have been following this issue closely and encourage you to do the same.

The Sweet William Market is celebrating its eighth season in Stapleton, and the vintage & lifestyle event is bigger than ever.

Its 80 vendors bring everything from clothes and artwork to crafts and candles to The Green every month.

“The thing that I’m excited about is the thing that I’m always excited about, which is I love sharing my vendors with Stapleton, said Realtor and market owner Kim Kouba. “It’s amazing to watch shoppers with their mouths wide open, just so happy about what they’re seeing that they can’t find anywhere else in the city.”

Sweet William fits the community.

“The people who live in Stapleton are urban-minded people,” Kim said. “They really want something clever and unique … so I think that’s why the market’s fun for them.”

She has also seen residents make a day of it.

“The market is very social. The wives will come down and shop, and the husbands will come down later with the kids and they’ll all go to lunch,” she said.

Jennifer Carabetta has been a vendor at the Sweet William Market since the beginning.

“It’s just the kind of market that I would shop at … I tend to only sell at markets that would draw me in as a customer,” she said. “I also love that it’s in our neighborhood.”

Jennifer’s business, Dizzie Izzie, sells handmade skirts, tutus, lounge pants, women’s clothing, accessories and a lot more. She named the company after her daughter.

“It’s honestly a homegrown business. I didn’t even go out with a business plan,” she said. “I just made a bunch of tutus and a bunch of reversible skirts and then I started adding to the line as my daughter grew.”

She said the market brings something special that people don’t always find every day.

“So many things are right at our fingertips to buy … we’re all on the hunt for something special for our friend, for our mom or for whomever,” Jennifer said. “When you go to a market like this, you feel proud of what you find.”

Now Jennifer greets customers who have stopped by her market booth year after year.

“It’s so cute because people have been coming to my booth for so long – it’s so rewarding,” she said. “You kind of have a routine. You have lunch from the food vendors … and now, moms I’ve known bring their daughters. But as Stapleton grows, every single weekend I meet people I’ve never met before.”

“The first Sweet William of last year was actually our first event,” Andrew said. “We had assumptions on how shave ice would be received in the neighborhood based on the number of kids … but we were pleasantly surprised about how well it did.”

Andrew found a new appreciation of shave ice when he visited Hawaii recently. It’s everywhere on the islands, and he brought back some traditions with him.

“If you go to Hawaii, one of the most common things you’ll find is the sweetened, condensed milk on shave ice,” he said. “It’s called a snow cap.”

Andrew also offers ice cream, toppings and ice-flavor combinations that he has sourced across the nation.

“We have 33 flavors that range from your common strawberry or cherry to blue raspberry, which is probably our best seller because the kids love it,” he said.

While stops like Bombo’s provide the treats, Ethan Koehler’s band provides the ambience.

The Binding plays at each market, and all of the band’s members live in Stapleton.

“Amazingly, we all live on the same block. We share an alley … word kind of got out that three of the fellas were getting together and just tinkering,” Ethan said. “They had guitars so we started getting together in one guy’s basement.”

“It’s still a casual, fun thing … it’s somewhere we invest energy beyond our day-to-day responsibilities,” Ethan said. “I think the music brings energy and a different mood to the market. A market can be pretty quiet, but this takes it to a new level.”

The Sweet William Market also has philanthropic partners that receive complimentary booth space at the event.

The Morgan Adams Foundation is one of those partners. The foundation raises money and awareness to help children and their families affected by cancer.

“Ultimately, our objective is to underscore the need for better, less toxic treatments for cancer,” said Joan Slaughter, the foundation’s executive director. “There isn’t a lot of funding for pediatric needs and pediatric research, in particular, but we’re also focused on quality-of-life and aiding the long-term effects of treatment.”

Joan began the foundation after her daughter, Morgan, died of a brain tumor in 1997. Now the foundation serves a crucial community need.

The Sweet William Market is also named after Robin French Haight’s son, Will. He was battling cancer during the market’s first season in 2005. Once he was diagnosed at age 2, Robin and her husband turned to the Morgan Adams Foundation.

“Will just turned 11 … he faces struggles every day related to the treatment that saved his life, but what really drew my husband and I to the Morgan Adams Foundation was they really do have this two-pronged approach of focusing on the treatment as well as the long-term effects of cancer.”

Check out this STORY about our friend Eli and his family. Eli's dad, Jacob, has been working to find a better treatment for craniopharyngiomas, and we're proud to have been able to help with his research!

Then, a HUGE HUGE thank you to everyone who came out and ran, volunteered at, supported, and donated to Grace's Race on May 5th! The race was a fabulous success with more than 750 registered runners for the inaugural event. Congratulations to Grace Petroff, her parents, Girl Scout Troop #62540 and the entire race committee (thank you Erin Rapp, Ben Frommelt, Eric and Suzanne Steinberg!!!). And a special thank to Fox 31, who shared Grace's story on KVDR last Friday! Check it out below:

The weather on Saturday, August 25th was nothing short of exceptional, setting the stage for the best year in the history of the Morgan Adams Concours d'Elegance. Experience the event through photos HERE, thanks to our wonderful photographers: Al Axelrod, Blacktie Colorado, Tom Carlisle, Julie Kemerling, John Little and John Waugh. We'd like to begin by thanking every generous person and business who made this year's event a resounding success!

TO OUR GUESTS:We send our thanks and hopes that next year, you'll join us with a new friend by your side who's never experienced all that is Concours.

TO OUR VOLUNTEERS:You're the heart of MAF. We wouldn't be able to meet our mission year after year without your generosity, time, and support.

TO OUR AIRCRAFT, AUTOMOBILE & MOTORCYCLES OWNERS:You're the drive and sparkle behind this event year after year. We'd be lost without you and your passions!

TO OUR SPONSORS: You are exceptional and your ongoing commitment to helping us put an end to pediatric cancer is worth more than our gratitude -- you are the reason we can do everything we do and share our mission, year after year.

If you didn't have the opportunity to review the sponsorship signage or information in The Morgan Adams Concours d'Elegance CATALOG, please take a moment to stop by our SPONSORS PAGE and visit the businesses that made this year's event possible. We thank you for simply being the best partners a nonprofit organization could ever hope to have -- and we hope to one day not need your support as we work towards the eradication of "pediatric cancer" from vocabularies worldwide.

TO OUR AMBASSADORS & THEIR FAMILIES: Your partnership, courage, and willingness to be the faces and voices of Concours 2012 goes beyond our thanks -- you are ALL why we're here. And we thank you for your trust, time, love, and willingness to be a vocal part of our biggest year ever and ongoing mission. You can learn more about our Ambassadors and their stories here.

This post is our way of sharing three very special pieces of news: our estimate of funds raised, auction results, and announce our Best in Show results. Here we go!

MEETING THE CHIP CHALLENGE: 10 CoPilots committed to make a difference in the lives of 10 future children battling cancer by contributing $10,000 — the equivalent of 10 research chips to analyze cancer tumors. Each CoPilot sponsored one of our survivors, who served as Ambassadors for the night. The room rose to meet this "opening gambit" and the CHIPS alone brought in over $280,000 -- and counting! It was an honor for us to share with you the real success behind the event -- the kids whose lives are impacted by your generosity. Thank you for your truly amazing support!

Please SHARE your thoughts with us about the electronic bidding used in our auction.

BEST IN SHOW AND PEOPLE'S CHOICE RESULTS:Every year, Concours guests vote for the best among the stunning aircraft, automobiles and motorcycles on display. Here are the results of this year's show -- and again, a hearty and heartfelt thanks to all of our generous owners who make this feast for the eyes possible.